个人简介
Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)
研究领域
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My current work at Defence Research and Development Canada is in three main areas: Radiobiology, Diagnostics, and Stem Cell Therapeutics.
Radiobiology, which has recently been patriated to DRDC Suffield, is an active although small area. I am interested to exploit circulating nucleic acids (CNA, esp. DNA fragments) as potential biomarkers of radiation exposure. Buried in this very applied piece, are some interesting notions about the potential of CNA as systemic signalling molecules. We are working on an in vitro model system to begin to probe this possibility.
CNA also represent a possible diagnostic modality for the issues around mild traumatic brain injury, a program level effort launched by some of my colleagues in response to a growing epidemiological issue after the Afghanistan conflicts. It is our hypothesis that CNA (in this case including RNA and DNA fragments) may be useful indicators of brain injury and resolution. This is a new effort, and animal trials have just begun.
The area of diagnostics at large is one of my primary roles for our international relationships. The military clients have some unique needs for deployable diagnostic tools, along with unique logistical, training, and reach back needs. A key piece of work is the need to diagnose infection (e.g. sepsis) before symptoms, in suspect exposures. We are involved in a multinational effort funded by the US and UK military programs, to develop a panel of biomarkers with strong predictivity and sensitivity for sepsis, so that early treatment can be initiated.
Finally, our newest effort is just getting started. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) represent a less controversial alternative to embryonic stem cells, and we have an interesting opportunity in this regard. We have a long-standing arrangement for, and experimental experience with a domestic swine model for research problems. The source for MSC is the umbilical cord perivascular tissue, which in swine is very similar anatomically to that of humans. We have an opportunity to study some basic properties of stem cell fate and distribution, during autologous, sibling or kin-related heterologous, and unrelated heterologous transplants. In addition, the swine model is proven preclinical system, which may go a long ways towards satisfying the FDA (and soon to be Health Canada) two-animal rule for therapeutic or diagnostic systems which can't be trialed in human beings (i.e. most of the biowarfare and chemical warfare problems we face).
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